In the meat or packing industry, it is common practice for workers to utilize various power driven tools in cutting the carcass of an animal into suitable sized portions. Generally, these tools have an operator-actuated switch for energizing the tool, the switch being conveniently located in a handgrip for the tool so the operator can simultaneously actuate and guide the tool with one hand.
A conventional type handgrip with switch for a reciprocating blade type tool is illustrated and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,270,369 to Mandell. As is set forth therein, the handle portion comprises a grip portion and a trigger, the grip portion having reed type switch inserted within. The reed type switch comprises a glass tube with metallic reed elements mounted inside the tube. The glass tube is mounted within a metallic tube and is separated from the sides of the tube by a plastic filler or a suitable filling compound. A plug having two lead wires has one of its wires connected to the metallic tube and the other wire to one of the metallic reed elements, the other reed element being connected to the metallic tube. The switch is operated by squeezing the trigger and a permanent magnet attached to the trigger causes the reed elements to contact each other and complete the electrical circuit.
A problem encountered with such saws is that, due to the vibration created by the saw blade, the reed switch oftentimes breaks or cracks and becomes inoperative so that the switch must be replaced. Another problem is that the removal of a defective reed type switch and replacement with a new switch is tedious and time consuming since the fittings holding the switch must be released and the entire switch including lead wires withdrawn from the handgrip.